To Hong Kong

Although I had been to Hong Kong twice and Elle once, our boys had never been there. I was able to have them meet all the people that had been to the Willans’ prayer meeting. The Christian, former Triad leader, training to be a barber, cut Karl’s hair. We stayed at the Princess Hotel, where I had stayed, and had a couple of days to absorb life in Hong Kong.

Then, both the boys started running fevers, and we were due to leave Hong Kong for India in the evening. Worse, we had heard that our British Air flight had been canceled due to an airline workers’ strike in Sydney. So I telephoned British Air and asked them what we should do. “Report to the airport two hours ahead of the flight,” was all they would say, even when I pleaded that our boys were sick.

So to the airport we went, that evening.

After a few minutes, a British Air official entered the room and said, “Your flight has been canceled, doe to a strike in Sydney. Your tickets for tomorrow’s flight ae confirmed. Tonight you will be guests of British Air. Please board the buses outside.”

The buses took us to a leading hotel in downtown Hong Kong, gave us two double rooms, and invited us to a meeting room for complimentary buffet dinner and floor show. We fed the boys and put them straight to bed, where they fell asleep immediately. Elle and I went down to the floor show, but stayed only a short time and returned to our rooms.